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Day 733: Quiet move

Lesson of the day

A quiet move gives no check and takes nothing — yet it decides the game by creating an unstoppable threat or stealing the king's last square. This is the hardest class of moves: the eye hunts for loud blows while a modest shift does the winning. The clue: every forcing try runs into a defense, so seek the move that strengthens the threat or takes squares away. Train yourself to ask: what if I neither capture nor check, but quietly improve?

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: king to g2 (g3·3)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to h1 (g1·37)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: king to f2 (e1·19)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to c1 (b1·24)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: king to h2 (g1·41)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to c3 (c2·3)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: king to e2 (d2·2)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to b1 (c1·38)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: king to d1 (e1·17)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: bishop to e3 (c1·5)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: queen to b6 (b5·6)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (b2·6)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to f5 (c2·7)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e8 (e1·22)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: bishop to e4 (b1·8)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f8 (f1·7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e1·4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: queen to g8 (h7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to b5 (f1·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: queen to c8 (c5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (d8)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e2·3)Shuffle Rating 1650Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: queen to d4Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: rook to g6 (d6)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: bishop to b6 (d4·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a4 (d1·15)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 2: double attack on e4Shuffle Rating 1854Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Mate in 1: queen to d3 (e4)Shuffle Rating 1858Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 2: rook to h8 (h1·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 3: queen to e4 (b7)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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